Hong Kong has key role to play in promoting Taiwan’s reunification, top Beijing official says

Shi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo, stressed that the city had entered a new stage after two national security laws were enacted following the anti-government protests in 2019.

Wang Huning, the country’s top political adviser and No 4 official, also sent a congratulatory note to the conference applauding the “enthusiastic” efforts of Chinese in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and overseas in pushing back against advocates for the self-ruled island’s independence.

In his speech opening the conference Shi praised residents for taking ownership of patriotism and safeguarding Hong Kong, saying their support for the one country, two systems principle had achieved “universally recognised success”.

He called upon Chinese people around the world to tell the positive story of the nation’s peaceful pursuit of unity and clearly explain the opportunities reunification would bring on a global level.

“We should join hands and give full play to the unique advantages of Hong Kong, Macau and overseas [Chinese] in connecting the two sides of the Taiwan Strait,” Shi said.

“We should adhere to promoting integration through communication, benefits and affection, actively connecting the two sides for exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and promote the sharing of development opportunities for compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”

Chen Xiaojiang, a deputy head of the United Front Work Department, read out a message from Wang, a member of the party’s powerful Politburo Standing Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In the note, Wang offered praise for efforts to promote exchanges and integration between the mainland and Taiwan.

Also attending the forum was Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu, who hailed the one country, two systems principle for providing the city with “countless institutional advantages”.

Lee said the approach could be used to tackle similar “historical” problems and he called on residents in Hong Kong and Chinese elsewhere around the world to spread stories of the success of the governing system.

About 1,200 people from more than 50 countries and regions would attend the event, the organiser said earlier.

Shi met Lee after arriving in Hong Kong on Monday, following a two-day visit to neighbouring Macau. Lee later issued a statement, pledging to unite “patriotic forces” in Hong Kong to contribute to national development.

The Beijing official is expected to spend three or four days meeting local representatives from business, overseas Chinese organisations and religious groups.

Shi, who is considered a close ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping, worked at the highly influential Central Party School for nearly three decades.

Before his current appointment in 2022, he briefly served as the head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and was party secretary of Inner Mongolia between 2019 and 2022.

The previous visit to Hong Kong by a head of the United Front Work Department was by Sun Chunlan in 2015.